Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0Summers, winters and rain in Franklin Township all run close to those of most U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 85°. September is the wettest month, February the driest. Long walks are most pleasant from April to June and August to October, when afternoons reach 63–83°.
A year in Franklin Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Franklin Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Franklin Township’s place in Pennsylvania beside it.
What a year in Franklin Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cashtown 1s, PA, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Franklin Township’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Biglerville, PA, is heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Franklin Township
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cashtown 1s, PA.
Living with Franklin Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, August, September and October. 62 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Franklin Township from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Franklin Township and its neighbors
Hamiltonban Township has the coldest January nights next door (20°, 1° colder) and Cumberland Township the hottest July afternoons (87°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Franklin Township’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Township, PA | 21° | 85° | 45" | 27" |
| New Martinsville, WV | 22° | 85° | 46" | 27" |
| Oxford, OH | 21° | 85° | 44" | 25" |
| Mooresville, IN | 20° | 85° | 44" | 26" |
| Hebron, KY | 23° | 85° | 46" | 23" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Franklin Township averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 61% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Franklin Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Franklin Township’s place among Pennsylvania’s.
Franklin Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Franklin Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Biglerville, PA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 21° | 3.2" | 8.7" | 10 | 11 | 21° – 38° |
| February | 41° | 23° | 2.6" | 8.7" | 9 | 11 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 30° | 3.8" | 5.1" | 10 | 6 | 34° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| June | 81° | 59° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 64° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| August | 83° | 62° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| September | 76° | 55° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| November | 53° | 34° | 3.2" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 3.5" | 3.6" | 10 | 4 | 25° – 44° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 44.7" | 27.0" | 123 | 32 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Franklin Township’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Franklin Township’s center.
- Snow: Biglerville, PA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cashtown 1s, PA, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Franklin Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Franklin Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Franklin Township in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Franklin Township get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Biglerville, PA, heaviest from January through February, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 32 days a year.
How hot does it get in Franklin Township?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 64°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Cashtown 1s, PA).
When is the first and last frost in Franklin Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 170 frost-free days, at Cashtown 1s, PA.
What growing zone is Franklin Township in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Franklin Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Franklin Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Franklin Township.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.